New Laptop/Ultrabook wanted...HELP!

[Duffy2000]

Hi Guys,

OK, somebody humor me....

I am after a new laptop...(isn't everyone i hear you say)....

I work in IT, have done for over 13yrs at a fairly technical level...so know a bit, but seem to be going around in circles and not being able to make my mind up (probably half the problem). I have read thousands of reviews (often conflicting) dismissed a large number and considered many...been very close on a number of occasions or just pulling the trigger...but haven't.

My current laptop is a 17.3, Sony Vaio, i7(first edition), 8gb ram, 512gb hd sata....over 5 years old prob.

Now i feel like i must be looking for the same as a lot of other people but for the life of me can not find the right product. So thought why go through this pain alone when there must be hundreds if not thousands doing the same...so i am wondering if you guys can help...share findings or just confirm i am a lost cause.

Here is what i am after

-15.6-17.3 display (ideally 17.3 depending on how much this effects the overall weight and battery life) IPS LED/FULL HD
-i7 Skylake (e.g 6700HQ)
-Memory 16gb+ ideally (have looked at lower with the ability to expand)
-
-Not concerned on operating system so can be without if needs be.
-Disk: A SSD setup or at least 256 SSD with a 1TB HDD
-Not overly concerned on an optical drive...meh
-Nvidia GeForce graphics ideally, this does not need to be the highest end, i am a moderate game player so not after after the latest and greatest.
-USB 3.0 an ideally USB 3.1 (Type c)
-Bluetooth Technology (ideally 4.0)
...

Now let me put into context how that all needs to come together:

-I want an ultrabook style and not a big monster (kinda rules out alienware)..so slim is good (i know i'm asking alot)
-I really want good battery life 2/3 hours just won't cut it...4+ as a minimum of full usage time.
-It must run cool(ish) as it will spend a lot of time on my lap....so good cooling system/fans required but not at the expense of an aeroplane taking off in my living room.
-Sturdy bit of kit...flimsy makes and models need not apply.
-Backlit keyboard is required.
-Touchscreen not required, would actually prefer without but could be persuaded if it was a great piece of kit.

My budget i hear you ask...i am intending to keep the spens below £1000 (there is a small margin for the right piece of kit)

here are the type of laptops i have been considering...

http/www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/NX.G6TEK.001-Acer-Aspire-V-Nitro-VN7-792G_1837788.html

http/www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/asus-zenbook-core-i7-4750hq-12gb-1tb-15.6-qfhd-led-windows-10-64-bit-lapto-ux501jw-fi440t/version.asp?refsource=LDadwords&crtag=LD&gclid=CLa1sIKPkMsCFa0V0wodT70JyA

http/www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/asus_g501jw_-_core_i7-4720hq_2.6ghz-3.6ghz-6mb_16gb_ddr3_512gb_ssd_15.6_qf_g501jw-fi201h/version.asp

http/www.lambda-tek.com/Lenovo-59441436~sh/B2669345&origin=gbaseGB24.4?gclid=CMDp1q6QkMsCFSP3wgodnAEIxg

https/ultraboooks.com/product/razer-blade/

http/www.dell.com/uk/p/xps-15-9550-laptop/pd?oc=cnx5512&model_id=xps-15-9550-laptop

This post may actually help someone make their choice, i don't know....but as you can probably tell i am still all over the place on my decision as it appears all the above have at least one flaw in my requirements (majority being battery life)

So sorry for the rant...but if anyone can help...be it recommendations, ones to avoid, alternatives or whatever useful insight you can offer.

I really like the Zenbook but concerned on battery life dependent on what cell battery it is shipped with and also keeping in price range.

Thanks in advance

Duffy

 

[BadActor]

The Zenbook or the Dell. Both very portable and powerful CPU's. I would probably give the nod to the Dell, guessing battery life will be better due to Skylake and DDR4.

 

[Duffy2000]

Thanks for the input @badactor....yes battery life is supposedly better on the Dell but i am forgiving some performance?

 

[BadActor]

Hard to judge, but I'd say the difference wouldn't matter much.